How much force is exerted through docklines on a sailboat?? And do shock absorbers ACTUALLY work?

Gather round one and all and watch while we determine whether or not shock absorbers actually do what they say they'll do!! We've just procured a dynamometer/ load cell/ crane scale! And we are chomping at the proverbial bit to measure all of the forces that are being applied to our 40ft sailboat on a daily basis. For reference, our sailboat is 12m and weighs 13.5 tonnes. We are feeling very curious about the forces that we see in and around the boatyards and marinas. So today we're starting off small. Every day, pilot boats maneuver past the entrance of this marina and send the bowsprit of our boat soaring into the air, putting shock and load onto our bow lines. We want to know (with certainty) which lines are best to use. So we've used our load cell to determine the forces that are exerted on an adequately sized line (18mm) as opposed to an oversized line (25mm) and then again with the shock absorbers that were being sold at our local chandlery. Let's find out which lines will absorb the most shock! We already have a load (pun intended) of ideas to use this load cell on. We want to know how much force the windlass is taking. We want to know how wet lines perform compared to dry ones. We want to know everything there is to know about the loading being put onto the equipment were using in and around our 40ft sailboat. If you have something you'd like to see, let us know in the comments! If you have an idea for how we can remove variables from these tests and make them more accurate, let us know in the comments! And as always, if you'd like to buy us a coffee, you can do so at the link below: https://buymeacoffee.com/theincompetentcrew Thanks for being here! We'll see you in the next one!